The Obliterated
The Obliterated remembered nothing of their past; they were programmed for blind discipline as warriors of the Towered City…
Warriors of Transcendence, Part 17
The boy eyed the grey flame on his sleeve with great curiosity, noticing the subtle appearance of mingled colors. He stroked the cloth and felt the might of the steel sword strapped around his waist. It was a genuine sword, as was fit for a young man, not the sharpened stick of a child. He had no recollection of his past nor of the way had he arrived. As a young warrior on the Base Level, his only goal was to ascend, like a flame, constantly reaching upwards, to serve his masters faithfully, to enter the heart of the Base Level, and when the day arrived- to ascend to the next level. The mere thought excited him. His face was ablaze with an inner fire. He continued stroking the flame on his sleeve, imagining how glorious the sapphire- colored flame would look, the flame of the Saturn Level, the Level of Mercury.
How good it is to be here, he thought contentedly, as he gazed at the inner courtyard through the window of the steel gate. Outside was an empty world, a world in need of the healing touch of fire.
A brief call by the guard of the second gate halted his thoughts.
“You have completed your shift. You must report to Mahn, he wants to speak to you”. With confused thoughts, the young warrior made his way through the long halls that led to the room of the Inviewer. Why was he summoned to this meeting?
“So, my child,” Mahn began, as he tossed a wooden chip into the fireplace that warmed the room and cast its light upon them. “How was your daily shift?”
The boy’s face was innocent and beautiful, his eyes large and candid.
“Nothing out of the ordinary, Sir Inviewer,” answered the Obliterated One, insecure about proper protocol in addressing his honored interviewer.
Mahn was not surprised by the youthfulness of his guest. He knew that the Warriors of the Towered City were trained at a very young age. This boy had been obliterated. Who knew his lineage? Who knew where he had been found? The Inviewer did not know and he shook his head, trying to rid himself of these improper thoughts. Indicating the stone bench with his hand, he invited the boy to join him.
“Come, sit”, he said.
The boy, feeling a sense of reward in this sudden outpouring of attention, sat down cautiously.
“How are you finding the system?” questioned Mahn pleasantly.
The Obliterated One did not understand the query.
“I don’t understand, sir,” he chose his words well, “I am a regular warrior and I am content with my tasks.”
Mahn looked at him compassionately. There was something tiresome about his conversations with the Obliterated Ones. In some ways, Mahn even preferred conversing with the prisoners of broken spirit who possessed a strong inner resistance preventing Obliteration. His position held great honor. As an inhabitant of the fourth floor, his privileges entitled him to dine on meat delicacies and his short black blade, the weapon he was most fond of, was purchased in the depths of the main cavern for the price of just four white coins But, still, how much enjoyment could there be for an Inviewer in the Towered City?
His tasks included locating flaws in the behavior of the Obliterated Ones, recommending a repeat Obliteration if necessary, and imprisoning those who showed signs of rebellion. He loved the Towered City, and knew that before long he would fulfill the dream of all men on the Base Level, and enter the core. He did not know exactly how the level was run, but believed the words he heard from his teachers when he was appointed as Inviewer on the Base Level: “The steel strengthening fire shall strengthen your spirit and melt its locks. To ascend, as fire, higher and higher, to the peak of the Towered City”.
Melt its locks? He suddenly thought. Such a strange line… He hurriedly touched the flame on his sleeve, feeling the outline of the gray fire, and resumed his conversation with the Obliterated One who sat across from him, shy and embarrassed.
“Well, my boy”, he asked without expecting an answer, “What do you know of the world outside the Tower?”
The Obliterated One lowered his face, as if disturbed.
“A world of futility…A world of vagabonds confused and lost.”
These were not the words of a young boy. They had been imprinted on his brain by powerful agents. As the boy prepared to continue with his fervent speech, Mahn’s impatience grew visible. He dismissed the boy with wave of his hand, while deeply involved in his own thoughts.
A world of futility…A world of vagabonds confused and lost.
He, too, believed this, of course. How lost were those who were unaware of these facts.
The base of all is steel and the sword.
How naïve and foolish were those who reasoned that survival was possible without this knowledge. Mahn admitted to himself that he had never actually encountered vagabonds outside of the tower. He had met Obliterated Ones and prisoners of broken spirit. The latter, he knew, did not arrive at the Tower the least bit confused or lost…
Loud cries were heard from the nearby hallways, interrupting his thoughts: “The wall! The wall!” voices of anger and fear mingled together.
Was an enemy approaching the protective walls? Knocks were heard at the door and a warrior appeared, out of breath, announcing to Mahn, “Master Elassar has requested your presence”.
* * *
“It can be assumed that the stone cannot be used in any way…” said Mahn, his voice quivering.
Was he to blame for the anonymous thief who stole a stone from the wall during his shift?
“We did not ask for your opinion, we only asked for the details,” one of the Inviewers uttered dryly.
Why do you regard the cursed stone with such importance? Mahn almost retorted, but instead he remained standing, quietly but uneasily as three shaven-headed men behind a long table questioned him.
One of them, Elassar, was generally disliked. He was a known antagonist. All who encountered him, during investigations or elsewhere, were made to feel guilty of some unknown crime. Mahn had always tried to stay out of Elassar’s way. Unfortunately, he now had to answer to him. Many warriors silently filled the room. The air was suffocating, the light dim. Never before had Mahn undergone such a humiliating investigation.
“Do any of your family members serve in the heart of the level?” asked the Inviewer on his left. What, in the name of the holy fire, are they getting at? Mahn thought as he dutifully replied: “Yes, three of them, as far as I know.” Elassar smiled and said nothing.
His uncharacteristic silence filled Mahn’s thoughts with dread. And the man’s smile was not a good sign either… The three Inviewers arose and looked at Mahn. They intoned Mahn’s name, repeatedly- each succeeding time with greater intensity. Suddenly he understood the unfolding chain of events. But before he could prepare himself, before he had the chance to clarify his thoughts and feelings, he found himself directed to the heart of the level. This caused Mahn great embarrassment. The situation, especially the presence of Elassar, had created a climate of judgment and accusation.
Was this the moment they had all been waiting for? The presence of the three Inviewers prevented him from delving into the meaning of his changing situation. The tallest of the men was humming; the deep throaty tune was terrifying. The others started moving towards Mahn, while chanting familiar words, as in a dream: “The base of all is steel and the sword.”
“The steel strengthening fire shall strengthen your spirit and melt its locks. To ascend, as fire, higher and higher, to the peak of the Towered City”.
Mahn could hear himself chanting: “The base of all is steel and the sword.”
Then there was silence. The Steel Warriors exited the room. A sapphire flame illuminated the space casting a strange light on Mahn’s face.
“Do you know how to ascend from one level to another?” questioned the tall warrior. Mahn still felt like he was dreaming.
“By melting its locks “, answered Mahn in a voice that was not his own, as the flame drew nearer to his face.
* * *
Troops were departing from the lower City. Some moved towards the nearby lowlands, others to the north or the Land of the Southern Boulders. Skilled soldiers moved forward silently, taking their place in the battlefield. In the deep tunnels below the Towered City, the Obliterators were busy preparing the Shadows for the assault missions that awaited them. The light of day had dawned, its rays lit up the sky.
Mahn, as if being led within a transparent flame, had reached the heart of the level. Everything looked different and unfamiliar. Transparency controlled not only the people, but the objects, too. The color of his clothing was altered, and his sword became lighter. As he stood before the altar, in the heart of the level, the transparency entered his body as well. The memory of Elassar’s smile continued to disturb him, and impeded his total devotion, heart and soul, to the long- awaited process.
A huge torch-lit room housed a square stone formation. The stones were red, as if heated by an inner flame, their strength a stark contrast to the all encompassing transparency. Mahn was alone. A slender flame rose above the altar, the dim sound of thunder emanating from within as if from a living creature.
“Return to us!” called bodiless voices in his midst. And Mahn repeated every word they spoke, slowly.
“My life, my body and my organs, my insides and soul, each and every thought, every word spoken, every single movement belong to the fire. In death I will give it life and with its life I shall gain eternity. You, holy fire, stay ablaze forever. And I, body and soul, shall burn within you”.
“In death!”, “In death!”, “In death!” the nameless creatures chanted.
A great heat wave, as if emanating from the ground, arose from his feet and up through his body. The anonymous voices disappeared, the altar faded, and fire ruled all. Mahn plummeted into a dark abyss, devoid of emotions, memories and desires.
To be continued.
***
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